Talks continue between Toronto and outside workers as deadline for possible work stoppage nears

Thestar.com
February 26, 2020
David Rider

Negotiators for the city and its outside workers continued talking Tuesday as the clock ticked toward a possible Thursday work stoppage that would cancel a host of city services for Torontonians.

Both sides told the Star they are hopeful they can agree on a new contract or make enough progress to keep negotiating past the 12:01 a.m. Thursday mark when CUPE Local 416 members could legally strike or the city could lock them out.

A stoppage would halt garbage and recycling collection to about 200,000 homes east of Yonge Street, close city ice rinks and swimming pools, halt recreation programs on city property, end maintenance of city parks, halt non-essential road repairs and more.

Solid waste collection west of Yonge Street is privatized. A strike or lockout would, however, halt recycling pickup for residents there, who would be asked to store their blue-bin contents while putting out a mixture of trash and organics for curbside pickup that could be delayed.

Private haulers take waste to city-run transfer stations that would almost certainly be picketed by Local 416 members, meaning potentially long delays in drop-offs and collections.

Homeowners west of Yonge Street “could see their garbage day delayed to the next day or the day after, depending on how things move,” city spokesperson Brad Ross said in an interview.

Contracts for Local 416 and CUPE Local 79, representing more than 20,000 city inside workers, expired Dec. 31. Local 79 leaders have triggered a stalemate provision that will see them in a strike or lockout position in mid-March, potentially meaning headaches for parents over March break.

Sticking points are the same in both sets of negotiations -- job security, benefits, pay and parental leave. The priority for each is different. Local 416 has a majority male workforce while Local 79 is majority female with more part-time workers.

Eddie Mariconda, the president of Local 416, said Monday that Mayor John Tory is driving the city’s insistence on weakening protections against job losses through contracting out and will be responsible for any work stoppage.

Eddie Mariconda, president of CUPE Local 416, represents more than 5,000 City of Toronto outside workers.

Tory told reporters Tuesday he remains “very optimistic” a deal will be reached but added it must be “a fair, reasonable and timely agreement” for workers and for “the citizens who have to pay the bills here and many are struggling with issues of affordability.”

The city doesn’t want a summer work stoppage that would impact more recreation programs and cause trash headaches like those of the last Local 416 strike, in 2009.

Amid hopes of a deal, city management is preparing for a possible stoppage, including a command centre and plans for hundreds of managers to do as much of the work now done by union members as possible, while Local 416 members make picket signs.

Here is, according to the city, how a work stoppage would affect Torontonians:

• Garbage, recycling and organics collection for homes east of Yonge Street would stop. Homeowners would be asked to store materials for the first week. After that the city would open 11 temporary garbage drop-off sites from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• City council and committee meetings would stop, along with some city board and corporation meetings. Events and meetings at city hall and the Scarborough and North York civic centres would be held but only between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. All events in Nathan Phillips Square, David Pecaut Square, Albert Campbell Square, Mel Lastman Square and East York Civic Centre would be cancelled.
• Weddings in city facilities for which permits are issued would continue, although participants may have to cross picket lines. The city has suspended issuance of new permits pending resolution of the labour dispute. All event permits, including wedding ceremonies and photography, for city parks would be cancelled.
• Two animal services shelter locations would remain open between noon and 4 p.m. seven days a week: 146 The East Mall and 821 Progress Ave. Services would continue for calls regarding sick or injured animals, stray dogs, dog-bite investigations, and dead animal pickup.
• Some winter road staff would be off work. Contract and management staff would clear critical road, sidewalk and bike routes. Emergency pothole and sidewalk maintenance would continue. Routine operations including street cleaning and non-urgent repairs would halt.